Lights Out in Seattle
by KeepingUpDisappearances
Summary: Temperamental Seattle weather cancels a night out for Frasier, Niles, and Daphne, but an unexpected blackout adds a sudden twist to the rainy evening. They discover that this night will turn out to be much more special than their original plans. (Set sometime after 'Daphne Returns').
1. Weather (Not) Permitting

It was early evening in Seattle, but it looked as if night had fallen early. The whole day had been even more rainy and soggy than usual. Frasier, looking over the gray city from his apartment, was very put out. 'Shakespeare in the Park' was cancelled due to the rain. He had been looking forward to a night out with Niles and Daphne, and so had Niles.

"Curse this infernal weather!" Frasier suddenly shouted, glaring at the gloomy sky.

"I think Dr. Crane's losing it," said Daphne, "yelling at clouds". Frasier did not respond.

"Ah, stop pacing, Fras'," Martin called over his shoulder, sitting in his favorite chair (or, rather, the recreation of his favorite chair).

"Come over and watch this show with me," Martin said as Frasier turned around. "It's called _Untold Stories of the ER._ Here's a story about a guy who took a fall when hiking and landed on a cactus, right on his—,"

"Thank you, Dad. You needn't finish that sentence," Frasier said dryly. "I think I'll just get my Shakespeare anthology and read that."

"You're missing a good show," Martin replied. "Oh, look, the next segment is about a woman got a little too frisky and—,"

" _Thank you_ , Dad," Frasier repeated, "but I think I'll pass up on that and read Shakespeare."

"I know what you need," Daphne said as Frasier turned to her for the first time. "A nice cup of hot cocoa."

She nodded to the tray she was carrying. Martin perked up at the warm smell of hot chocolate.

"There's nothing like a mug of hot cocoa on a day like this," Daphne continued. "Me mum was famous for her cocoa. I remember one winter day when I was a child. I was trying to ice skate but ended up falling on me face. I felt terrible and got a horrible lump on me head, but Mum's famous cocoa cheered me up. Well, until she said, 'Daphne, you need to cultivate more coordination if you ever want to get a young man!'"

Frasier and Martin exchanged the bemused look they always did at Daphne's family anecdotes.

"Sit down at the table and have a mug, Dr. Crane," Daphne ordered, and Frasier obeyed.

"Very nice," he complimented sincerely, but soon glanced out the window again and glowered.

"Your brother is picking me up soon," Daphne said. "We're going to have dinner at his apartment, since the Shakespeare thing is cancelled. We thought about inviting you, but we have—other things planned afterward."

Daphne giggled, making her meaning quite clear. Frasier laughed awkwardly. She certainly had gotten cheekier since she had started a serious relationship with Niles. And she wasn't shy about being affectionate toward him when Niles came to the apartment, either.

"I wouldn't dream of spoiling your plans," Frasier said dryly, shuffling off to his room.

He settled down in a comfortable chair with a well-worn, leatherbound copy of Shakespeare's plays. He turned on a light and turned the pages at random to _A Midsummer Night's Dream_.

 _Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour  
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in…_

 _CRACK!_

Startled, Frasier nearly sent the heavy volume flying across the room. A terrific crash of thunder had jolted him out of his reading, so absorbed was he in the book. Cursing the weather for the third time, he read on,

 _Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow  
This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires…_

 _BOOM._ More thunder. And then the lights went out.

An emergency nightlight had come on, but it wasn't enough light to read by. Digging a flashlight from the drawer of his nightstand, Frasier flicked it on and left his room, following its beam to the living room, where Daphne had already lit some candles.

"I had a psychic vision that the electricity was going to go out," she said calmly, "so I lit these candles first."

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Daphne made her way through the candlelit room, flinging the door open to reveal Niles, who was holding an emergency camping light. It was an odd object for him to have, for Niles hadn't been camping since he was a teenager and Martin had dragged him and Frasier to Mount Shasta—almost literally at one point.

"This gives out a lot more light than a flashlight," he explained, and then turned to Daphne.

"Whenever you're ready to go, Daphne," Niles said cheerfully. "There's electricity at the Montana, so our plans won't be spoiled."

"Lucky you," Martin said. "The Seahawks game just started and I'll miss it if the electricity doesn't come on soon."

"Coming, Niles," said Daphne. "Goodbye, Martin. Goodbye, Dr. Crane. I'll see you when Niles and I are…well, when I'm good and ready to come home".

"I get the idea, Daphne," Martin said, catching her meaning once again. Niles snickered and gave his girlfriend a flirtatious look that was obvious even in the dim light from his lantern.

The door closed softly, and now Frasier and Martin were by themselves. Except for one emergency light, there wasn't much to brighten the room. Then Frasier remembered that there was a cordless radio in the pantry. Making his way into the kitchen, he found it with some difficulty, and then, to Martin's surprise, turned it on to the Seahawks game.

"You turned on the game? I thought you might want to listen to one of your classical music channels or an opera."

"I thought you would like this," Frasier said humbly. "I remember whenever the electricity went out when we were kids, you and Mom would get the game on the radio and act out every move. One time, you almost hit Niles, reenacting a pitch from—some Chicago Cubs player whose name I can't remember."

He laughed at himself. "Sorry, Dad, I'm sure you know by now I'm not entirely up on sports."

Martin was smiling fondly in the dim light and he snapped off the radio.

"I can catch the game any old time," he said cheerfully. "Now, what other family stories do you remember?"


	2. Romantic Antics

Meanwhile, Niles and Daphne were almost at the Montana. The rain was still coming down in torrents, but Niles, well used to the Seattle weather, navigated the slick roads easily.

"Did you want to eat first, my love?" Niles asked. "Or we could just sit around and have a chat."

"Maybe later," Daphne said musingly.

"Dinner first, then?"

"Well, I was thinking of something a little _cozier_."

Daphne let the suggestive sentence dangle, and Niles flashed her an understanding smile before quickly turning his attention to the road again.

"You're so subtle," Niles told her, laughing as he pulled into the parking garage of the Montana. They wasted no time scurrying into the elevator and making their way to his luxurious apartment. They slipped inside, and Niles turned on the chandelier that hung over the living room.

"Poor Frasier and Dad," Niles said, gazing appreciatively at the light that filled the living room. "Dad doesn't have his Seahawks game and Frasier will have to wait another month for Shakespeare in the Park."

"So will you," Daphne reminded her boyfriend. "Didn't you want to go?"

"Yes, but the weather has encouraged us to do something more—what did you say—cozy?" Niles said coyly.

"What I have in mind _is_ a lot more fun than Shakespeare. Or anything," Daphne agreed lightly.

Niles laughingly rumpled Daphne's hair before taking her in his arms and giving her a slow, sweet kiss.

"I can do better than that," Daphne said, kissing him back passionately.

"I think I'm ready to go upstairs," Niles hinted. "What about you?"

"You don't waste time, do you?" Daphne answered amusedly, but she followed him to their bedroom with alacrity. They wasted no time in getting to what they wanted.

Niles and Daphne were so involved in enjoying each other that they were oblivious to the low, menacing thunder. It wasn't until they were in the middle of one especially intimate moment that the storm interrupted them.

 _BANG!_

The sudden sound from the tempest outside seemed to reverberate around the room; Daphne startled violently as she was jolted out of a blissful reverie. She shrieked, arms flailing and legs kicking reflexively. Her foot hit something soft; there was a quiet thud, followed by Niles's voice, sounding oddly muffled.

"N-Niles?" Daphne gasped, rolling over and staring down at the floor, where he was sprawled out, face down. "What happened?"

"You kind of pushed me out of bed," Niles said into the carpet.

"I'm sorry," Daphne apologized, slipping out of bed to help him up. "Are you all right, darling?"

"I think I hurt my foot, but it's nothing serious," he said, recovering from his surprise. "What are you laughing about?"

Daphne had suddenly gone into a fit of giggles.

"I'm sorry, but you just looked so silly lying there."

"Oh, you're going to pay for this, Daphne Moon," Niles jested. "I'm not going to do anything more to you if you're not going to be good."

"I'll be good," Daphne said primly.

"Thank you. Now, where were we?"

Niles was about to make another romantic move when there was a crash of thunder, and the bedside light was suddenly extinguished. It took only a second for Niles to realize the electricity had gone out, and he calmly proceeded with what he had been initiating moments before. He reached out in the darkness, but instead of touching Daphne's cheek…

"Ow! What are you trying to do? You nearly poked an eye out!"

"Sorry," Niles said sheepishly, drawing his hand back. "I was reaching for your face."

"Well, if you want to go any further, you'd make sure you know _what_ is _where_ ," Daphne said in an inviting voice that left no doubt as to what she was alluding to.

"Master of subtlety, I see," Niles said, grinning in the dark. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

"Good," she murmured, eagerly applying her mouth to his.

After what seemed like infinite blissful moments, they drew away from each other, satisfied. Niles clicked on the lantern and smiled at his girlfriend's blissful expression.

"You have a very powerful effect on me," she explained, noticing.

"I think I'm ready to eat now," was Niles's only comment. "The stove will still work, and there's backup electricity for the refrigerator and the kitchen lights."

"Can I cook?" Daphne asked.

" _Can_ you cook?" Niles said adventurously. " _That_ remains debatable."

"Oh, stop, you know what I meant," Daphne answered, pretending to reprove him. "Nothing too risky. I'll just fry up some bacon and eggs."

"I'll cut up some fruit," Niles offered, and, after slipping back into their clothes, they headed for the stairs.

Niles stumbled on the first step. Daphne grabbed him just in time to save him from a disaster.

"It's my foot," he said, wincing. "Don't worry, precious. I simply strained something."

They made their way slowly into the kitchen. Niles turned on the light and Daphne rummaged in the refrigerator, quickly locating the bacon, eggs, and fruit.

While she stood at the stove, Niles got to work chopping up the fruit. All was well until Daphne drew near and lightly swatted his behind. It did not have the effect she desired, however.

"Ah!" Niles yelped, startling. In that split second he had lost control of the knife, and when he looked down, he saw a trickle of blood running down one finger. Daphne leapt forward as he paled.

"Easy now," she said, steadying him. "It's just a little blood."

She grabbed a tissue and managed to stanch the bleeding. Niles thanked her and finished cutting up the fruit.

"Sorry about that," Daphne said, turning back to the stove and finishing the cooking.

"You just can't keep your hands off of me, can you?" Niles taunted lightly.

"Oh, stop," she said, and they began to eat.

Just as they had finished, the lights came back on; they could see the sconce lamps in the adjoining dining room glowing warmly. At the same time, the antique grandfather clock in the living room began tolling; it was almost ten o'clock.

"I guess you'd better drive me home," Daphne said reluctantly. She glanced at his foot. "I could drive the way there and give you a chance to rest your foot."

"I think I'm game to drive," Niles said confidently. "However, I'd better think of an excuse if Frasier and Dad ask why I'm limping."


	3. Memories in the Dark

During Niles's and Daphne's time together, Elliot Bay Towers was still in darkness, but Frasier was regaling his father with another funny childhood story. It was a cozy scene; the soft glow of the candles did not mute the fond smiles on the faces of father and son as they sat back in their respective chairs and talked. Eddie, stretched out on Martin's lap, wagged his tail cheerfully, as if seeing his family so happy was the highlight of this little dog's day.

"I can't remember how long it took for Niles and me to forgive you for taking us on that fishing trip in California," Frasier was saying in great amusement.

"When was this?" Martin asked.

"We were about to start high school, and you thought we needed some time in 'the great outdoors' before we started."

"Oh, that one," Martin said, chuckling. "You know, I always wish I'd gotten a video of your brother fainting after he accidentally got a fish hook in his thumb!"

"Poor Niles," Frasier said, joining in the laughter. "We teased him about it for weeks afterwards."

Frasier glanced down at his watch.

"You know, Dad, it's getting late. Why don't I get a snack for us? I'd cook something, since the stove runs on the backup generator, but I couldn't see worth my life in those emergency lights."

"Oh, I'm not that hungry," Martin said casually. "Just get us a snack. Oh, and grab some of Eddie's dog treats from the jar on the refrigerator."

Over drinks, caramel corn, and pretzels, father and son continued to reminisce. Martin told stories about dating Frasier and Niles's mother, and about how many times he had tried to propose but then gotten nervous and put it off. He did laughingly say that at least he hadn't stalled as much as Niles had with Daphne, but then turned more serious.

"I kept thinking, 'am I good enough for her? Will she laugh in my face?'" Martin reflected fondly.

"Oh, Dad, how could you not have been enough for Mom?" Frasier said, with a rare show of emotion.

"Well, I guess I was. She actually accepted," Martin said happily.

"Do you remember Mom's story about the trip to the coast you took her on for your twentieth anniversary?" Frasier said craftily, and Martin gave a laugh that was both fond and amused.

"How could I forget? First I took the wrong highway and we ended up in what was virtually a ghost town. Then I finally found someone who gave us directions, but halfway to the highway, we ran out of gas. It was half an hour until someone came by and happened to have a gas can. It was dark when we finally got to the beach, but we walked it anyway…until I stepped on a horseshoe crab…"

For the next hour, Martin and Frasier exchanged family stories, with much laughter and, occasionally somber reflection as they both remembered Mrs. Crane. It had been a long time since father and son had been so close, and they forgot about the darkness and the storm outside until the lights flickered back on.

"You know, Dad," Frasier said, suddenly remembering as both blinked in the sudden light, "we don't have that tape of Niles hooking himself, but I think we do have one of him shrieking when he saw a spider in the tent. I'll go look for it."

Frasier made his way to a storage closet, and, after some rummaging, picked up a box that hadn't been opened for some time. He wiped the dust off the top and opened it. Stuffed inside were half a dozen VHS tapes, home movies that had somehow been forgotten. Grinning, Frasier picked out one that was labelled 'Crane and Sons fishing trip'.

Frasier and Martin watched the tape with great amusement; even Frasier snickered watching his teenage self struggling to put up a tent, but he laughed until Eddie looked alarmed when they came to the scene of "Niles and the spider."

 _"Niles, would you go back into the tent and grab me a beer?" a much younger-looking Martin asked. Frasier, who was operating the camera, got a closeup._

 _"Dad! Wave!" he said, and Martin obliged._

 _Then Frasier panned toward Niles._

 _"And there's my dear brother, heading into the tent that we finally managed to put up after two hours," Frasier observed. "Niles, fetcher of beer. Join us next time for another exciting adventure: 'Frasier tries to light a campfi—,"_

 _Frasier's narration was cut off by a high-pitched shriek, and Niles came running out of the tent as if it were on fire._

 _"Niles, what happened?" Martin asked, as soon as Niles stopped running._

 _"Spider!" Niles gasped. "Big—spider—it jumped on my leg."_

 _And then Niles fainted dead away, as Frasier, in the background, tried not to laugh._

The tape ended, and Frasier wiped tears of laughter out of his eyes. Martin was chuckling uproariously, alternately clapping and then slapping the arm of his chair in unbridled amusement. One confused little Jack Russel terrier glanced between the two men, puzzled at this bizarre behavior. He perked up as he heard the key in the lock of the front door, which Martin and Frasier did not hear.

"Did you see Niles's face?" Frasier chortled in good-natured humor.

"My ears are burning, and it doesn't sound good!"

Niles's voice interrupted the laughter of Frasier and Martin as Niles and Daphne entered the room.

"Niles, do you remember that fishing trip we took before we started high school?" Frasier asked bluntly, hiding a grin.

"Unfortunately, yes," Niles said darkly. He was ushering Daphne into Frasier's apartment, trying and failing to hide the fact that he was limping. His brother noticed and gave him a concerned look.

"Are you all right, Niles?"

"Er…nothing serious," Niles answered evasively. "I just had a…minor fall."

Daphne giggled before she could stop herself, and Niles's face turned the color of a bad sunburn. Glancing from Daphne's tangled hair and tousled blouse to Niles's uncomfortable expression, Frasier made the connection. Glancing back at his father, he saw from the look on Martin's face that he also understood—rather more than he wanted to.

"Er, anyway," Frasier said, breaking an awkward silence. "About that camping trip. Do you remember your eight-legged friend?"

"Oh, no. You dug up the old tape, didn't you?" Niles said, looking alarmed.

"What old tape?" Daphne asked curiously.

Frasier smiled wickedly.

"Just you wait."

THE END


End file.
